District



3 D. 0 0 G E R A E G. ow W J.

BRICK AND TILE CUTTING MAGHINE.

Patented Deo. 29.1891.

o., wwwa-mu n c (No MCdel.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. W. 8a G. H. AREGOOD.

BRICK AND TILE CUTTING MACHINE. No. 466,145. Patented DCC.29,1891.

nml I l@ O E (No Model.) 3 sheets-sheet 3 J. W. 8v G. H. AREGOOD. BRICK AND TILE CUTTING MACHINE.

No. 466,145. Patented Deo. 29, 1891.

W/ TNE SSE S /N VEN 70H81 A TTOHNE YS jm: News Parzns co., mow-umn., wasnmarou. u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN W. AREGOOD AND GEORGE I'I. AREGOOD, OF VASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

BRICK AND TILE CUTTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 466,145, dated December 29, 1891.

Application lecl April 27, 1891. Serial No. 390,533. (No model.)

. To all whom t may concern: The machine B has a suitable main frame Be it known that we, JOHN TV. AREGOOD I, a cutter-frame J, a carrier K, a receivingand GEORGE H. AREGOOD, of Washington table L, which is preferably hollow and heated city, in the District of Columbia, have in by steam or in other suitable manner, a dis- 55 5 vented a new and useful Improvement in charge belt M, and operatinggearing and Brick-Machines, of which the following is a clutch mechanism, as will be described. specification. The main frame I has its legs l provided This invention i's an improvement in that with suitable guides c' for the upright bars j class of brick-machines wherein the clay is of the cutter-frame J. On the top frame we 6o ro formed into a long slab or slabs fed along a support'bearings N for the rollers O of the carrier, then cut into brick lengths, and then several belts P, which constitute the carrier fed off the carrier; and the present invention K. Cross-plates Q are arranged close to the seeks to provide improvements in the cutting ends of the belts P, and are arranged at their devices and means for operating the same, a upper sides flush with the upper sides of the 65 r 5 novel construction of carrier and other imbelts. It will be noticed that two of these provements hereinafter described; and the cross-plates are arranged between each two invention consists in certain features of conbelts and that the cross-plates are separated, struction and novel combinations of parts, as forming a groove or way q between them, into will be hereinafter first fully described, and which the cutting-wire projects, as herein-v 7o 2o then pointed out in the claims. after described. W'hile it is preferred to form In the drawings, Figure l is a side view of the adjacent cross-plates Q entirely distinct our machine. Fig. 2 is a top plan view. and to provide the groove q by setting the Fig. 3 is an end view thereof, and Figs. and said plate slightly apart, it is manifest that 5 are detail views. the adjacent plates may be formed integral 75 25 The apparatus is designed to embodj7 a pugat the base or in one piece grooved centrally mill A and machines B, arranged on opposite along the top to form the separated side sides thereof, but as said machines B are plates and the recess to receive the cuttingalike in construction it is thought that the wire. It will be seen that the cross-plates illustrationand description of onewill sufce. form, practically, a connecting portionbe- 8o 3c Inasmuch as the devices in the pug-mill for tween the adjacent belts to support that pormixing and forcing the clay out in slabs are tion of the clay which lies between twobelts, not claimed to be of our invention adetailed and further to form an unyielding base for description or illustration thereof is thought the clay on opposite sides of and practically to be unnecessary. The shaft C of this mill at the point where it is cut off. 8 5 5 5 may be driven by belt D, as shown, or in other The tops of the belts P are about flush with suitable manner, as desired. At or near its the table L, so that strips of clay forced from lower end the shaft C'is provided with a the pug-mill over the said table will pass onto f master-wheel E, which is formed or provided the first belt P and thence on across the other with cams to give endwise movement to the belts. The several beltsPare driven, in feed- 9e 4o rod F, which serves to operate the cutting ing the cut bricks oif the machine, by means mechanism, and also serves to throw into and of a sprocketchain R meshing sprocketout of operation the devices for feeding the wheels 0 on one or both rollers O of each belt cut bricks off the carrier. In the constr'uc- P, such sprocket-chain R being driven in the tion shown the cam G is a groove formed in manner presently described. It is preferred 95 45 the wheel and entered by a roller or projecto connect the sprocket-wheels o with their tion H, mounted on the rod F; but manifestly shafts O by clutches S, so that the belts may the form and character of the cam may be move forward independently of the sprocketvariedwithoutdeparting from the broad prinwheels and chain. Now this is of especial ciples of our invention, the purpose being to importance, as in forcing the slabs of clay roo. 5o reciprocate the rod F by the turning of the across the carrier the belts may move with it master-wheel. independently of the sprocket-Wheels, so that the said belts will in a measure serve as rollers upon which the slabs move forward, so that instead of the slabs being forced along the belts and become rucked up by friction therewith t-he belts are moved forward by the slabs of cla)7 and so serve as rollers for the clay as t-he latter moves forward to position upon the carrier. The particular form of clutch shown includes ratchet-disks 1, fixed 0n the shafts O', and the ratchet-disks 2, xed to the sprocket-wheels and normally in contact with the disk 1. The operation of said mechanism will be fully understood from the foregoing description in connection with the drawings.

At the rear end of the machine the carrier delivers the cut bricks to a discharge-belt M, o which they may be taken by hand. This belt is passed around guide-rollers 3, 4, and 5 and a drive-drum 6 on a shaft 7. This shaft 7 also has a pinion Sand a bevel-gear 9. The pinion S meshes a gear-wheel 10, which in turn meshes a pinion l1 on one of the rollers O, usually the rear one of such rollers, as shown. The bevel-gear 9 is meshed bya pinion 12 on a shaft 13, to which is fixed a'clutchsection 14. A clutch-section 15 is movable into and out. of engagement with the clutchsection 14, and is supported on ashaft 1G, hav ing fixed and loose pulleys 17 and 1S, which may receive a drive-belt from any suitable drive-shaft.

The clutch-section 15 is moved into and out of clutch with the section 14 by means of the crank-arm 19 on the rock-shaft 20, such crankarm being connected by rods or links 21 with the clutch-section 15, so that the rocking of the shaft 2O moves the clutch-section into and out of engagement with the section 14, in order that the shaft 13 and the parts geared therewith may be driven at certain intervals in the operation of the machine, as will be further explained hereinafter. This shaft 2O and a similar shaft 22 have cranlcarms 23, to which the slide-rod F connects, and they are also provided with crank-arms 24, connected by links 25 with the uprightsj of the' cutterframe. It will be seen, therefore, that the longitudinal movement of the rod effects the vertical movement of the cutter-frame and also the movement of the parts necessary to adjust the connections between the driveshaft 16 and the shaft 13, as before described.

The cutter-frame is provided with the cutterbows 2G, which are spring-metal plates secured between their ends to the top bar of the frame J and adapted at their ends to receive the wires 27, which are held taut by the tension of the bows, such tension resulting in the construction shown, from the resiliency of the spring-plates and the supplemental springs 28. The springs 2S are supported on a rod 29, extended between and through the arms of the bow, provided outside said arms with heads or nuts 30 and between their ends with nuts 31, the springs 28 bearing between the nuts 31 and the arms of the bow, so that the tension of said springs may be regulated by adjusting-nuts 31, as will be readily understood. The spring-bow operates as a spring or yielding support for the cutting-wires 27, which are of considerable importance, inasm uch as it avoids the breaking of the wires. In case they should come in contact with a stone or other unyielding` body in the clay the wires will yield and not be broken, as would result if they were stretched in an unyielding support. To enable the convenient application of wires to the bows, we provide compressing devices for forcibly bringing the ends of the bows nearer together. In lthe construction shown the compressing device includes a lever 32, which fulcrums between one of the heads 30 and the side arm of the bow arranged at its lower end to bear against the said arm and having its upper or handle end provided with a detent-pawl 33, engaging a ratchet 3l. Then it is desired to applya wire to the bow, the lever 32 may be pressed out at its upper end. This will force the ends of the bow inward toward each other, in which position they will be held by the ratchet and pawl while the wire is being applied, when the pawl may be released and the bow will expand and hold the wire taut.

In practice we make the belts P of clear i gum, so that they may be fitted tightly on their rollers and will not be inj uriously affected by the moisture in the clay.

It will be understood that in practice we prefer to arrange machines B, on opposite sides of the pug-mill and operate the latter to force slabs of clay alternately to the said machines.

The slabs forced from the pugmill pass across the heated table L onto the carrier, the belts of which are moved by the moving clay and render the forward movement thereof easier, as will be readily understood. Then the slab has been forced onto the table, the master-wheel will have been revolved to such extent as to bring its cam to such position as to force the slide-rod forward. This movement of the slide-rod operates through the rock-shafts and their crank-arms and connections to lower the cutting-frame, forcing the wires through the clay and below the same into the grooves q, and then move the clutchsection to cause the gearing to operate to advance the carriers and feed the cut bricksout of the machine.

IOO

It will be seen that the cutting-wires do not move upward through the cuts made by them in the clay, and so give the ends of the bricks a ragged appearance; but after forming a clean cut through the slabs the wires remain in the grooves q until the bricks are fed off the machine. After the carrier has been operated to feed the bricks olf, the cam of the master-wheel will operate the slide-rod to lift the cutter-frame and adjust the clutch-sections apart, when slabs of clay will again be forced onto the carrier, and the operation proceeds, as before.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new is- 1. A machine substantially as described having its carrier composed of a plurality of carrier-belts of lengths approximating that of bricks, the said carrier-belts being powerdriven independently of the movement of the clay, whereby the cut bricks may be discharged from said belts by the power applied to the belts, substantially as set forth.

2. A machine substantially as described comprising carrier-belts and cross-plates arranged between the said belts and slightly separated at their adjacent edges, forming a groove to receive the critter, substantially as set forth.

3. In a machine substantially as described, the combination of the carrier-belts-separated at their ends, the cutting-wires arranged to descend between the adjacent ends of the belts, and mechanism for driving said carriers subsequent to the descent of the cut- `ting-wire, whereby the wires may cut down through the slabs of clay to form the brick lengths and the brick lengths be discharged off such carriers before the wire ascends, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. A machine substantially as described having its carrier composed of belt-sections and having clutch devices connecting said belt-sections with their drive devices, whereby the belt-sections may be moved forward by the clay as the latter is forced onto the carrier, substantially as set forth.

5. In a machine substantially as described, the combination, with the endless belts constituting the carrier, of cross-plates arranged between the adjacent ends of the said belts and having their upper sides arranged iush with the tops of the belts, substantially as set forth.

6.v In a machine substantially as described, the combination of the endless belts arranged in series and having their shafts provided with sprocket-wheels and clutch connections, the sprocket-chain meshing with said belts and drive mechanism, substantially as set forth.

7. In a machine substantially as described, the cutter comprising the spring-bow adapted at its ends to support the cutting-wire and provided with a compressing device connected with the spring-bow by which to forcibly adjust said ends toward each other to facilitate the application of the wire, substantially as set forth.

8. In a machine substantially as described, the combination, with the spring-bow, of the compressing device comprising a lever fulcrumed between its ends, bearing at one end against the lower end of one of the arms and having a pawl, and a ratchet for engagement by said pawl, substantially as set forth.

9. In a machine substantially as described, the combination of the cutter-spring bow, the wire extended between the ends thereof, the cross rod or bolt extending between the arms of said spring-bow, the supplemental spring on said rod or bolt, the compressing-lever, and the pawl and ratchet, substantially as set fort-h.v

10. In a machine substantially as described, the combination of the framing, the carrier, the cutting devices arranged to cut vertically, the slide-rod, means for reciprocating such rod, intermediate connectionsv between the rod and the cutting devices, whereby the movement of the rod will operate such devices, a drive-shaft gearing between such` shaft and the carrier, including a clutch, and

having cranks, a link or connecting rod join# ing one of such cranks with the cutter-frame, and the slide-rod connected with the .other crank, all substantially as set forth.

12. The combination, substantially asdescribed, of the lnain frame, the cutter-frame,

thercarrier, a sprocket-belt by which the rollers of the carrier may be driven, a shaft 13, having a clutch-section 14, gearing connecting said shaft 13 with one of the rollers of the carrier, the drive-shaft 16, and clutch-section 14, the slide-rod and the rockshaft having cranks for connection with thev slide-rod and with the cutter-frame, and also provided with a crank-arm, by which to 0perate the clutch-section, all substantially as set forth. v

' JOHN W. AREGOOD.

GEORGE I1. AREGOOD.

Witnesses:

P. B. TURPIN,

SoLoN C. KEMoN.

IOO 

